Mexican Carnitas Recipe

Ever hear of "carnitas"? They're easy-to-make pork crisps that are very popular in Mexico.
The secret to this recipe is the citrus and quick frying. Be sure the meat is well drained before it's place in oil, though, or it will splatter and pop.
My husband works at a timber mill. Logging is an important industry here in the mountainous northeast part of our state, and there are also numerous wheat and grass seed farms. In addition to cooking and canning, I enjoy fishing, gardening and crafting. —Patricia Collins, Imbler, Oregon

Nutritional Facts

Directions

Place meat in a medium-size roasting pan. Sprinkle with garlic and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice from one orange and the lemon over the meat. Slice the remaining oranges and place over the meat.

Cover and bake at 350° for about 2 hours or until meat is tender. With a slotted spoon, remove meat and drain well on paper towels. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet and fry meat in batches until browned and crispy.

"I like that after the meat has baked it can be refrigerated (the taste actually improves) or even frozen. Later I only have to take what I need to fry, instead of frying it all for one meal and probably having leftovers."